


I Started Off With Nothing (And I Still Have Most Of It Left)

by Silent_So_Long



Series: I Started Off With Nothing [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Ice Cream, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-02
Updated: 2013-01-05
Packaged: 2017-11-23 09:11:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/620480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_So_Long/pseuds/Silent_So_Long
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Loki finds employment at the Asgardian Ice Cream Parlour. (Thor AU, in which everyone is human)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this work comes from an album of the same name, as recorded by blues musician, Seasick Steve. (I love his work!) 
> 
> Also, if anyone's curious, the UST is between Thor and Loki.

The sun baked down upon the streets of New York, glancing in dazzling sparkles from the sidewalks and windows alike. Loki squinted against the glare, as cars streamed past on his left, heat from their engines and exhausts adding to the summer humidity that blanketed the city like a shroud. He felt his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his back, as sweat trickled uncomfortably against his skin. He began to wish that he’d worn anything other than his habitual green and black that day, despite the fact that he owned few other colours than those in his entire wardrobe. He’d been wearing those colours for so long it almost felt like a uniform to him, yet that day, the dark colours trapped the heat still further against him. 

He carried on, skirting around gaggles of giggling school-children, obviously from out of town judging by the amount of ogling they did of the surrounding buildings. Loki heard mention of something called Stark Tower, and he wondered briefly if there were any jobs available there. He sighed; he’d been in New York for less than a week and he was already thinking it a mistake. He’d been hoping for a decent job with an even better wage, yet as yet, he’d found nothing. Either they turned their noses up at him, snooty receptionists judging him before he’d even opened his mouth, or the pay wasn’t nearly enough to pay his expenses in an expensive city. There was one thing to be said about Loki and that was that he liked his comforts, and his tastes usually ran to the expensive.

He caught a reflection of himself in a window as he paused to allow another gaggle of kids to wander away from where they were blocking the sidewalk. He sighed ruefully at what he saw in the window; he wondered if the snooty receptionists he’d seen thus far were put off by his demeanour, all thin face, angular cheek-bones and long black hair pushed back from his forehead and hanging down to his shoulders. Perhaps they thought him a fly-by-night model or rock star looking for some serious work or perhaps a drug pusher looking for a legitimate cover for his real business. 

He sighed again and almost turned away from the window, before a shift in the clouds above blotted the sun from glaring too brightly into the window. He noticed, for the first time, that he’d been held up outside an ice cream parlour, and that there was a sign in the window, announcing that there were vacancies available. Interested, despite himself, Loki made the decision to plunge inside and enquire. At least, if he got the job, he would be working in air conditioned surroundings and be able to hopefully consume as much ice cream as he wanted, whether the boss knew about it or not. 

He glanced up at the sign that hung over the door, just to make certain that he’d be fully aware of just what establishment he was entering if asked. The sign was rustic in design, reminiscent of Victorian candy stores; the old fashioned writing read - Asgardian Ice Cream Parlour. Loki pushed inside, hands connecting with the metal door knob that seemed to leach the heat from the very air outside. Loki hissed at the pain in his palm that such scorching metal produced yet he pushed on, determined to not be deterred from entering; even if the vacancy proved to be a waste of time, he could at least get some respite from the heat outside.

It seemed as though almost the entirety of New York had had the same idea as Loki, judging by the hot press of bodies that almost overwhelmed the air conditioning inside. Loki pushed onwards, waiting in line when he realized that the press of people would not let him pass, too impatient in the heat to allow him to even ask one question of the manager. His gaze soon was attracted into following a booming voice from behind the counter, seeming to rise easily above the chatter around him, even though Loki could discern nothing of the words spoken. 

Eventually, he saw the owner of said voice, a tall man that seemed to overshadow all around him with sheer height and breadth. Even though there was only an inch between Loki and the man, it seemed as though there was a greater difference in height; the man was much broader through the shoulders and chest than Loki’s slender frame. He watched as the man tied his hair back, blond hair so fine it was almost golden in the light, and eyes so blue they seemed unreal to Loki. The man’s smile was contagious, a bright and happy grin that lit up the other's face beneath the short stubble of his beard.

It seemed, as though judging from the way that the man strode around, confident in his place and his space and by the way that most other behind the counter deferred to him, that the golden haired man in question was possibly the manager. Loki determined to flag the man down as soon as he could.

As luck would have it, the golden haired one was the one to eventually serve Loki, and now that it was time to speak, Loki’s tongue failed him for the first time in ages. It had always been said of Loki that he always knew what to say, and when to say it, be it truth or lie or somewhere in between. Yet now, he had no clue as to how to proceed and the thought irked him. The man behind the counter seemed not to notice Loki’s sudden reticence; instead, he cast his sunny smile upon the slighter man as though he thought Loki was being indecisive. 

“Are you perhaps having trouble choosing?” the man asked, and when Loki checked the man’s name badge he saw that it did indeed read that he was the manager, and that his name was Thor. 

Loki had to smirk at that; it seemed that fates were smiling upon him that day, to bring him within the same vicinity as an Asgardian Ice Cream Parlour and a man similarly named after a Norse God, given that he too was named for a Norse god. To cover up his lengthy silence, he directed his gaze down towards the banks of multi coloured ice creams within the freezers displayed before them, before he scanned the menu, musingly. 

“I am,” Loki said, finally. “I have never encountered so much choice in flavours before.” 

“Ah. We’ve won awards for our breadth of flavours,” Thor said, proudly. “Finest in New York.” 

“I wouldn’t know, I’m afraid. I am new to New York,” Loki said, yet he managed not to sound apologetic at all. 

“Is that so? Looking for a job on Wall Street perhaps?” Thor asked, as he cast a glance towards Loki’s perfectly tailored suit. 

“Hardly. I very much doubt a Wall Street banker would dare pop into a place such as yours themselves. No doubt they would send their secretaries,” Loki replied, dryly. 

“Maybe so,” Thor said, with one of his infectious and booming laughs. “If not from Wall Street, then what perchance are you?”

“I was actually looking to enquire about the vacancy you have right here,” Loki said.

“Yes? Oh, well, you’re the first person to show interest so far,” Thor said. “What is your name?” 

“You’ll think me performing some form of trickery if I tell you my name,” Loki said, glance sliding towards Thor’s name badge again. 

“Allow me to be the judge of that,” Thor said, with a baffled frown. “I assure you I will not laugh, unless you happen to have a girl’s name. You don't, do you? Is your name Sue or perhaps Marilyn?”

“Excuse me?” Loki asked, in genuine bafflement.

“I shall take that as a no,” Thor said, with a return of his laugh. “So what is it? I cannot allow you an interview or a job if I do not know how to address you.” 

“I am Loki,” Loki said, finally. “Loki Laufeyson.” 

“Now I understand your hesitance,” Thor said, as he extended one large hand over the counter. “I am Thor. Thor Odinson. Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise, I am sure,” Loki purred, offering up a smile towards Thor.

He knew that he’d often been complimented upon his smile, and it seemed to work upon Thor, for the other man returned the grin, a far more genuine smile than the bold and arrogant one he’d displayed previously. Thor’s attention was diverted by sounds of a ruckus from nearby, as one of his employees spilt a veritable concoction across the floor, sending nuts and strawberry sauce flying in sticky ice cream’s wake. Thor’s face turned momentarily to thunder, golden brows pulling low as he glared at the person who'd dared to spill his precious ice cream. The moment passed so quickly that Loki wondered if it even had happened at all; Thor’s frown had disappeared completely within seconds, replaced instead by a smile. 

“Clean that up, Hogun,” Thor bellowed over the noise and confusion in the parlour. “Or I’ll take the cost out of your salary.”

The Asian man in question snorted, as though he doubted Thor’s words, yet still he did as Thor had asked. Meanwhile the parlour grew busier around them, voices raised and becoming more demanding by the second. Thor noticed and groaned, mumbling curses beneath his breath at that.

“If you so wish to have the job, would you mind hopping back here right now? We can skip the formalities of an interview if you survive today,” Thor said, with a helpless glance towards Loki. “I hope that you have a good memory and can learn fast.”

“Yes, to both,” Loki said, confidently.

Thor nodded, and gestured for Loki to follow him behind the counter, opening up a hatch in the otherwise seamless wooden surface near one edge of the room. Loki shimmied gracefully through, digging in sharp elbows and hissing at people who trod on his toes, eyes narrowed almost into feline slits. Thor was waiting patiently, amused at the way that Loki had cut through the crowd; he nodded at the slighter man when Loki used that same grace to walk past him behind the counter. 

“I think I like you already, Loki,” Thor said, as he handed the other man an apron, which Loki was glad to note was green in colour. 

Thor’s was red, Loki noticed, and Thor grinned when Loki’s dark brows rose at the choice.

“Aye, Loki, I know my Norse mythology same as you apparently do,” Thor said, voice imbued with the amusement and the warmth of the sun. “As such, I’m fairly certain that Loki’s colour is green and Thor’s is red.” 

“I can see that we shall get along famously,” Loki said, with a return of his smile, head dipping down almost shyly, although his hair did little to hide his face, slicked back as it was from his forehead. 

Thor chuckled and slapped Loki heftily upon the back, large palm too warm and too familiar against Loki’s sweat streaked back. Loki however bore the inconvenience well, suddenly liking the familiar way that Thor was treating him already. True to his word, he learnt quickly, listening intently to Thor’s rushed explanations regarding toppings, ice cream flavours, types of cones, and the quick codes they identified each by when dealing with lots of customers. Thor then left to deal with a backlog of ice cream demands, effectively throwing Loki in at the deep end and to the mercy of a veritable horde of customer-shaped lions.


	2. Chapter 2

Thor watched Loki as the slender man worked, as he took a brief break from serving and dealing with fractious, over-heated employees alike. Loki appeared to keep his cool throughout everything, movements lithe and fluid, effectively minimal, yet economical and blindingly fast. Thor noticed that Loki had not been joking when he’d said that he had a good memory and was a fast learner; that he was both was an understatement. Thor hadn’t seen Loki make one mistake yet, which couldn’t be said for most of his genuine employees. 

He watched Loki’s dark haired head bend slightly, as a small girl on the other side of the counter shouted her choice at him in a piping voice , to which Loki purred out a response that Thor didn’t hear, making the girl giggle excitedly. That Loki was good with children was obvious almost immediately, another plus in Thor’s ever expansive book. Loki’s quick eyes darted up and caught Thor’s, a mischievous, almost devious smile crossing Loki’s face when he realized that Thor had been watching him. Thor merely tipped him a wink and a nod, but didn't hide the fact that he’d been caught red-handed. Instead, he paid attention to Loki’s slender hands working, long fingers making quick work of assembling the child’s ice cream, as though performing intricate forms of frozen magic. 

That Loki had impressed Thor enough to actually bag the job without a formal interview was obvious within a couple hours of working, yet still Loki came to Thor at the end of the day, to hand his apron back. 

“I trust I have satisfied you with my conduct today?” Loki questioned, although it was clear from his tone that he knew he had.

Thor chuckled at that; he knew that Loki had been quick to pick up on his approval as quickly as he’d picked up on the intricacies of the job. 

“Is it that obvious?” Thor asked, with another chuckle at Loki’s mischievous grin. 

“I should think so,” Loki said.

“So, when can you start?” Thor asked, hopefully. 

“As soon as possible,” Loki said. “As soon as most convenient for you, of course.” 

Thor’s eyebrow raised in amused surprise; that Loki possessed the famed silver-tongue of his Norse counterpoint was obvious, yet Thor couldn’t say that he was displeased by it. He was starting to think that Loki was definitely growing on him, charming yet with hidden layers that Thor could see were hinted at only by Loki’s sometimes unguarded gazes. 

“Well, it’s a half-day tomorrow; my father’s in hospital, so perhaps Thursday?” Thor asked. “Or should that be Thor’s Day?” 

Loki smiled politely, even as he wondered to himself how many times Thor had told that very same joke. Thor’s rumbling chuckle filled the air between them before he slapped Loki upon the shoulder, large hand enveloping the other man’s arm for one instant as he rubbed at him encouragingly. 

“Just be here at 8am, on Thursday,” Thor told him, with a smile. “I shall go through with you the particulars of your job, along with your wages.” 

“I shall look forward to it,” Loki said, with a half bow towards Thor.

That action seemed to amuse Thor; his rumbling laugh cut through the air as Loki straightened with a smile curving the corners of his mouth. Thor shooed him away with both large hands, as though Loki were a potentially naughty and mischievous child. Loki chuckled, even as he allowed himself to be shooed away and out of the parlour. The streets outside were dimmer than they had been at noon, yet the muggy heat continued to hold sway. Loki huffed out his annoyance at the temperature, yet turned his steps towards his apartment, which was still new enough to not be classed as home just yet. Still, Loki had to admit that his prospects were looking up, considering their grave state just that morning.

~~~

Loki almost didn’t turn up at the Ice Cream Parlour that Thursday morning, last minute jitters at the thought of actually starting a new job in a new city where no one knew him almost making him change his mind. Then he reasoned with himself that that was what he’d intended to do when moving to New York in the first place; to turn down a position at the Parlour would be financial suicide for him, as it wasn’t as if he’d had much luck previously on the job front. And so Loki had sighed, pulled himself together and put on his finest suit and tie and strode to the Parlour, hoping that Thor at least would prove to be as friendly as he had two days previously. 

The Asian man, who Loki remembered was named Hogun, was the one to show him through to Thor’s office, a decidedly cool and unfriendly look upon his face. Loki pretended as though it mattered little to him; after all, he was used to shuttered eyes watching him, judgemental looks following him wherever he went. He tried to remember something his mother used to tell him, when he came home from school, bullied yet again because he was too different, too intelligent, too softly spoken for the rowdy masses. He brought to mind her soft smile and even softer words - You start this life with nothing, Loki dear, and you end up with most if it left. It’s what you choose to do in between that makes all the difference. 

As soon as he entered the office, Thor bade him sit with a friendly grin, face tired in the only way an early start could produce. Loki smiled that thin lipped smile of shyness he‘d perfected in childhood when he was uncertain of something, dipping his head in greeting as he sat gracefully upon the chair opposite to Thor. 

“So, Loki, why do you wish to work in an Ice Cream Parlour?” Thor asked, his loud voice only slightly muted due to the early hour. 

“Because I require money,” Loki replied, deciding not to hedge or tell lies. 

“Honesty. I appreciate honesty,” Thor replied, and Loki almost laughed in his face at that.

Loki couldn’t remember the last time that anyone had referred to him as being honest; that little mistake on Thor’s part would soon disappear in the winds of truth, he knew. 

“And why did you choose my establishment to pursue work in?” Thor asked, next, before he cracked an open mouthed yawn loudly into the silence, without bothering to cover his mouth first. 

“Because I had little luck elsewhere and was growing increasingly desperate,” Loki said, with a dissatisfied little huff. 

Thor hummed at that, looking a little put out by Loki’s words, yet he remained silent and non-judgemental upon them. He blinked, yawned again, before coming to a decision. 

“Okay. I’ll start you on minimum wage and will place you on trial for three months. After that, I fully suspect I shall be giving you a job if Tuesday was any good indication,” Thor said, getting to his feet and extending one hand towards Loki.

Loki also stood, before reaching forward himself to shake Thor’s hand; Thor raised his eyebrows at how cool Loki’s hand was against his much warmer one. Loki grinned, and turned to leave. 

“Loki,” Thor called after him, and Loki paused in the doorway, to glance back over his shoulder questioningly. “What was your previous employment?” 

“Employment? Oh, I made ice sculptures,” Loki said, smoothly. “For weddings, mostly.” 

Thor’s eyebrows rose in undisguised interest at that revelation. 

“Perhaps you could show me them, sometime,” he said, tone hopeful. 

“I will show you the photographs, at least,” Loki said, with a smirk, before he turned to leave again. “Same tasks as Tuesday?” 

“Aye,” Thor said, as he slumped back in his seat once more.

Loki nodded, green eyes flashing in the light, before he turned again and walked from the room, long hair a dark splash against the white painted walls. Loki moved confidently through the corridors and back behind the counter, soon losing himself to the swirl and play of ice cream scoops and multi-coloured cones.


	3. Chapter 3

one month later 

“You never have shown me photographs of your ice sculptures, brother,” Thor stated one day a month later, heat still baking the streets outside.

Loki, momentarily distracted by serving a customer, merely hummed in acknowledgement, before finally returning his attentions to Thor. 

“Ice sculptures?” he asked, dark brows pulling low over confused green eyes. 

“Aye, on your first day here, you told me that you made ice sculptures for weddings,” Thor said, bright smile dimming a little. 

“Most likely, Loki was feeding you a line, Thor,” Fandral muttered, as he walked past with a full tub of pistachio and caramel ice cream held between too cold hands. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” 

Loki remained silent, head bowed, while Thor scowled at Fandral. 

“Why must you say such things about Loki, Fandral? It doesn't become you to lie or to spread half-truths about your co-workers,” Thor demanded. “It’s not the first time that you’ve done it.” 

“Merely conjecture on what I’ve observed so far, Thor,” Fandral said, with a shrug before he turned to leave once more. 

“Fandral,” Thor yelled at Fandral’s back., yet the other man continued walking. 

“I think it safe to say that Fandral doesn’t take kindly to being usurped by a newcomer,” Sif observed from nearby. “We have all noticed how highly you praise Loki, yet you never say anything even vaguely complimentary to the rest of us. You treat Loki like he’s family, you even call him brother, when he isn’t. I could go on, yet I shan’t.” 

“Would you please stop talking like I am not even in the room,” Loki finally said. “I can hear you, as I am sure you are well aware.” 

Sif merely snorted and didn’t bother even glancing at Loki. Loki sighed, and turned away, slender hands rising into the air in abject defeat. It hadn’t been the first time that Sif and her co-workers had actively sniped at him, throwing snide comments at his back, regardless of whether he could hear or not, and constantly complaining to Thor about all manner of things, half of which Loki hadn’t actually done. Thor still hadn’t proved whether Volstagg’s claim of Loki stealing money from the till was actually correct; Loki’s opinion of the matter was that it was actually Hogun, yet no one listened to him when he brought that fact up. 

Thor sighed, head bowing, large hands bunching into irritated fists upon the counter. Sif watched him, curiously, and even Loki turned back to see what the larger man was going to do.

“That’s enough, Sif,” Thor ground out, turning his angry gaze upon her. “And don’t say that I am taking Loki’s side once again; as far as I see it, you have done nothing but bully him since he got here. You and your co-workers. If you can’t keep a civil tongue in your head, then I suggest you leave right now and never come back.” 

Sif appeared ready to explode with anger, yet she remained silent, visibly swallowing her anger with an effort. She turned, gave Loki one last angry look, before storming from the room, long pony-tail swaying with every movement. 

“Well, that went well,” Volstagg murmured, as he poured change into the till from the palm of one large hand. 

“The same applies to you, Volstagg,” Thor said, angrily. “Come, brother, we shall continue talking outside.” 

Loki nodded, and followed Thor from the room silently, slender frame moving gracefully in Thor’s angry wake. He gave Sif a mocking smile as he passed her in the break room, despite the disappointment he felt inside. He sighed quietly; it seemed that everywhere he went, he was continually misunderstood and mistreated. Only Thor seemed ready to be on his side, and Loki wondered momentarily at that. Thor was the first person since his mother had died that truly seemed to care about him, and Loki felt strangely grateful for that, an emotion he wasn’t at all familiar with. 

“Your ice sculptures, Loki?” Thor almost demanded, as soon as they attained the freedom of the back yard, where they routinely took deliveries. 

“Yes, you were right. I did tell you I used to do them,” Loki conceded, with a bow of his head towards the other man. “I have some photos of them uploaded onto my phone, if you care to see them.” 

“I care, Loki,” Thor said, as he bent his head expectantly.

Loki smirked, slightly, uncertain as to whether Thor meant he cared about his photos or about Loki himself. Loki decided to accept both explanations, even as he eased his phone from his back pocket. He thumbed the phone on, and scrolled through the menu until he came to the appropriate folder of photos. He handed the phone to Thor, who willingly accepted it. The phone, while fitting perfectly in Loki’s hand, seemed dwarfed by Thor’s much larger one, and Loki noticed that the other man treated the device with great care. He watched, silently, as Thor scrolled through image after images, glistening icy mounds shaped into angels, swans, even cakes. Finally, Thor came to the end of Loki’s photo gallery and handed the phone back with an impressed nod. 

“They are really good,” Thor announced, with his usual happy grin beaming from his face. “I should like you to make one for the parlour. I shall even give a bonus for the trouble.” 

“It’s no trouble,” Loki started to protest, surprised that Thor had even made the request. “I don’t require extra payment.” 

“I insist,” Thor said, with a nod that marked finality. 

Loki nodded slowly at him, lips pursed, as his brows lowered over thoughtful eyes. 

“And what would you require the sculpture to be of?” he asked. 

“Anything that takes your fancy, brother, as long as it ties in with the Agardian theme,” Thor said.

Loki nodded, accepting the challenge, ideas already flowing through his mind.  


~~~

Loki frowned, dark brows pulling down low over intense green eyes as he concentrated on the task at hand. Slender hands worked a small ice pick and hammer with the grace of someone who was comfortable with the task, hands and tools chipping small pieces away from the block of ice before him. His mouth twitched into a small tic of irritation when he inadvertently chipped a little too much away from one side of the piece; he rectified his mistakes by balancing it out upon the other side. 

He could feel someone watching him; his eyes dodged to the side and saw, as expected, the interested gaze of Thor upon him. The other man had finished serving for the time being, tall body resting against the doorframe, muscular arms folded over his broad chest as he relaxed. Only his eyes moved, roving over Loki’s sculpture as it took shape in the middle of the room; the ice had been carved into a giant sea serpent coiling in upon itself to squeeze an orb that was unmistakably Earth. Thor nodded to himself, a grin brightening his face when Loki’s full attention fell upon him. 

“That’s good,” Thor said, sounding impressed. “Really good, in fact. Those photographs you showed me last week did you no justice.” 

“Thank you,” Loki said, simply, as he stepped away from his handiwork, satisfied that he was now finished with his sculpture. “I think I’m done.” 

“Good. Then I shall help you transport it through to the main room,” Thor said.

Loki’s eyebrows raised, yet he remained silent and stoic beside his sculpture. He waited for Thor to take his place on the other side of the carved ice, before they transported the sculpture into the other room, a large tray nestled beneath it to catch the melting drips. 

“This probably won’t last long in this heat, brother,” Thor said, regretfully. “Still, it shall provide a good centrepiece whilst it lasts.” 

Loki nodded, standing back as customers ooh-ed and aaah-ed over the sculpture. One of the nearest customers asked what the sculpture was of. Thor waved one large hand towards Loki, giving him the floor, as though it was his by rights. 

“It’s Jormungandr, the World Serpent,” Loki said, softly. “In Norse mythology, he was a serpent so large that he circled Midgard and was able to grasp his own tail. If he let go, then the world would end. Also, he was the middle child of my namesake with Angrboda.” 

He tapped his name badge proudly, before saying - “My name is Loki, by the way.” 

The crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed again, even as Loki turned away, to drift back towards the counter once more. Thor followed in his footsteps closely, not wishing to stay amidst the crowd a minute longer without Loki by his side. Loki smiled at the almost puppy-dog like way that Thor shadowed him, a fact that almost made him miss the looks upon the faces of the other employees. Sif and Hogun in particular looked distinctly miffed, eyes narrowed in judgemental jealousy as Loki swept by them. 

“Leave my brother be,” Thor said, quietly as he passed them. “He deserves his time in the light, as much as you all do.” 

“He is not your brother,” Hogun said, determinedly. 

“That matters not to me, nor should it to you,” Thor growled.

He strode away before further comment could be made; Loki firmly tried to ignore the fact that he’d heard every word. 

~~~

Loki watched as Thor tacked a lurid, hot pink flyer upon the noticeboard hanging behind the till. He frowned, eyes skimming over the bold print emblazoned upon the garish paper, as he approached Thor, hand finally coming to rest upon Thor’s back. Thor half turned, a large and friendly smile brightening his face when his gaze fell upon Loki. 

“The Central Park Ice Cream Festival,” Loki read aloud, soft voice dropping almost to a purr as his eyes skimmed over the rest of the flyer. “July 17th.” 

“Aye, brother, it’s something that’s held every year in the Park, endorsed by Tony Stark himself,” Thor said, proudly. “It’s where all the owners of the city’s ice cream parlous gather, to compete with their fares. There’s even games and ice cream eating contests, a maypole and a wet T Shirt contest. It all might sound like fun, but it’s mostly held to raise money for charity. We’ve attended every year so far and have won a few certificates each time.” 

Thor pointed towards the display of certificates and rosettes that dominated one wall, the greater majority of which were health and safety certificates, while a fewer amount had obviously been awarded at the Festival itself. Loki tried to look impressed, but his expression turned sour when he saw Sif’s name upon at least half of the certificates and rosettes from the Festival. 

“Sif is unable to attend this year. Family business,” Thor said, as though he guessed at Loki’s internal disgust. “I was wondering if perhaps you would consider going in her place with me this year?” 

There was a hopeful light in Thor’s bright blue eyes when Loki turned to him; Loki shrugged, knowing that he had little else to do that day.

“The honour would be mine,” Loki said, with a smile.

Thor’s own grin was worth the discomfort of knowing that Sif would somehow make him pay for attending the Contest in her place. 

~~~~

The sun shone down upon Central Park, bright yellow eye of a heat-filled disc winking out of a bright blue expanse of a sky. Loki checked the sky for signs of clouds to cover the sun, or perhaps even the risk of rain. While he didn’t relish the idea of the festival being washed out, the coolness that the rain would undoubtedly provide would considerably lighten his mood, he knew. 

His shirt was sticking to his back in wet swathes of fabric, while his hair was beginning to unfurl from its slicked back trappings, odd fluffy strands of it floating down into his face to be blown out of his eyes and his mouth continuously. He couldn’t even brush the annoying strands out of his face for fear of contaminating the ice cream he’d been making. He cast a glance towards Thor beside him who, while still hot, looked to be faring better than Loki. Thor had even pulled his hair back into a loose and messy bun at the nape of his neck, exposing his bearded face more than usual. 

Thor turned a smile onto him when he realized that Loki was watching him, eyes almost as bright and as blue as the sky above them, and his hair seemed to reflect back the brightness of the sun. Loki felt himself smiling back despite himself; Thor just had that effect on people and Loki was no exception to the rule. 

“Are you not enjoying yourself, brother?” Thor asked. 

“I would enjoy myself more if the sun would just turn itself off for a few hours,” Loki said, with a huffing sigh that sent more strands scattering out of his face. “If, you know, we could somehow stand the inexplicable loss of life and the dubious sustenance of it, if the sun suddenly went out.” 

Thor laughed, as though Loki’s comment had been truly funny; Loki merely smiled at him thinly. Thor seemed to laugh at pretty much anything and everything, great booming chuckles that filled the air and set everyone else around him to smiling themselves. He seemed to laugh hardest at Loki, however, oftentimes pulling him into affectionate hugs which Loki surprised himself by allowing. Loki was not one to encourage much contact with others, yet he noticed that while affable and friendly, Thor rarely touched anyone else, either. The only exception seemed to be Sif on occasion, yet to Loki, their friendship seemed more platonic than romantic. 

“Actually, in answer to your question, yes, I am enjoying the festival,” Loki said, softly, once Thor had finished chuckling. “I greatly enjoyed the fact that you actually entered yourself into the wet T Shirt competition.” 

“I still can‘t understand why I didn‘t win that,” Thor said, and Loki had to laugh. “I‘m glad you‘re here, Loki. You‘re more fun than Sif.” 

“Thank you,” Loki said, in surprise, not bothering to hide his pleasure at such a compliment. “As are you.”

Thor grinned, looking pleased. Further conversation was curtailed, however, by a loud voice greatly amplified by a tannoy, stating that the results of the ice cream making competition were ready to be announced. Thor tapped Loki on the arm to alert his attention to proceedings, before they loped over to the main stand, joining their fellow competitors from other ice cream parlours in the city. Thor, unsurprisingly given his large appetite had won the ice cream eating competition, while Loki, also unsurprisingly, had won the popsicle carving competition. Thor and Loki were still grinning as the next winners were announced.

“And the winner is, for the most inventive ice cream flavour is Asgardian Ice Cream Parlour, with their pizza flavoured ice cream,” crowed the announcer. 

General cheering accompanied the announcement, before proceedings moved on. While they'd had early success with winning consecutive categories, they didn’t manage to win any others; they came second, however, in the categories for consistency of flavour and lickability. By the end of the day, Thor was grinning broadly, large hands clutching their winner’s certificates and rosettes proudly.

“These shall be put on display upon the wall first thing in the morning,” Thor said, to Loki, who merely nodded. 

Despite the heat of the day, the general discomfort said heat produced and the general nuisance regarding small and whiny children, Loki had found that he’d enjoyed the day immensely, as though he finally felt a part of something. He knew that it helped that Thor was the first person to ever truly accept him; he felt some of his previous life-long loneliness begin to melt away. Some of his pensiveness must have become obvious to the other man, for he stopped Loki with a well placed hand upon his shoulder, before gently turning Loki to face him, with a surprisingly serious expression on his face. 

“Why so serious?” Thor asked, suddenly reminding Loki of Heath Ledger’s Joker.

He remained silent upon the comparison, merely giving Thor a shrug and a smile. 

“No reason,” Loki replied. “It’s just been a long day. But I am glad that I had the chance to get to know you a little better. I no longer feel quite on the outside as I once did.” 

He turned away, knowing that while he hadn’t told the entire truth, he hadn’t told a direct lie, either. He walked away, and glanced back only once when he realized that Thor was not following him. The other man was staring after him, with a baffled, yet pleased, smile upon his face. 

~~~

The following day was a Monday, as equally as hot as the preceding weeks, yet there was a hint of thunder on the horizon. Loki watched the clouds rolling in, slow yet inexorable and unavoidable all the same. He felt a great sense of relief at that; hopefully with the advent of thunder and rain, then the temperatures would descend into cooler climes too. Plus, he never could resist watching the weather at work, hearing the rain rattling against the window while watching the lightning flickering into the room and thunder growling outside. 

The first spatters of rain were splashing against the sidewalk as he reached the parlour, turning the light grey of the concrete a much darker shade in ever growing blobs of colour. He hurried inside, wanting shelter from the storm despite the need to feel refreshed. Inside, there were just as many people crowding round as there had been the past few weeks and Loki had wriggle his way through milling bodies, scowling at anyone who got too close to stepping on his toes. He felt exhausted by the time he joined Thor behind the counter and shucked on his apron.

As expected the certificates and ribbons had been framed and tacked to the wall behind the counter, displayed proudly alongside the establishment’s other certificates. Loki had to suppress a grin when he saw that his name had taken pride of place alongside Thor’s own - Loki Laufeyson writ large upon two of the certificates. Sif was glaring at him a little coldly from nearby, a fact that didn’t escape Loki himself, especially when she sidled up to him once Thor was at a safe enough distance.

“I should have gone to that festival yesterday. I would have too, if I‘d been able,” she hissed, quietly enough so that Thor couldn’t accidentally overhear. “It’s usually me that goes places with Thor. Either me, or one of the others.”

“Be civil, Sif,” Loki said, unaffected by her catty behaviour. “It's my turn now; I am sure that Thor will return to your side in due time.” 

“I somehow doubt it,” Sif said, with a sniff. “The way he treats you sometimes, its like the rest of us don’t exist anymore. You’ve only been here five minutes in comparison with the rest of us and he treats your personal space like it‘s his own.” 

Loki’s eyebrows rose as he stared in disbelief at Sif. While Thor seemed to have trouble with discerning where Loki’s space started and Thor’s ended at times, Loki himself didn’t have a problem with it. He had merely assumed that it was Thor’s way of showing affection, despite the fact that Thor rarely had that problem with anyone else. 

“Getting a little jealous, are we?” Loki asked, finally, when the silence stretched out for too long.

Sif’s only response was to sneer at him, which was the only answer that Loki needed. She turned away with a swish of dark ponytail, striding away to leave Loki alone.

“What was all that about?” Thor asked, voice surprisingly quiet at Loki’s side. 

Loki startled a little, soon recovering himself as he stared at the stockier man. 

“Nothing I can’t handle, I assure you,” Loki purred. “It seems as though the Lady Sif is getting more than a little jealous.” 

He pointed towards the certificates with one slender hand and a roll of his eyes. 

“Of certificates?” Thor asked, in disbelief.

Loki sighed; sometimes, he wasn’t sure whether Thor was teasing him or not by deliberately acting a little dense. 

“No, not just certificates, Thor. It’s because she’s worked here longer than me, that she thinks it’s her birth-right that she should remain by your side. She seems to view me as the usurper to her particular throne,” Loki remarked. “As I said, it’s nothing I can’t handle. I have faced things like this before.” 

“And this is why you said that you were glad that I’d accepted you yesterday,” Thor said, with a smile, proving that he wasn’t as dense he occasionally liked to pretend.

“I didn’t say that,” Loki said, firmly.

“No, but you implied that,” Thor said, gently. 

Loki pointedly didn’t argue; in fact, he didn’t say anything, at all. 

“Try not to let them get to you. They’ll have to get used to you being here,” Thor told him. “Or they’ll have me to deal with.” 

Loki merely smiled, and watched as Thor wheeled around, to head back to his office and the backlog of paperwork that had been building up for a week. Loki turned around and concentrated as best he could upon his jobs for the day, hoping with everything that he had that Thor was right.

~~~


	4. Chapter 4

one week later

Loki sat alone outside the Asgardian Ice Cream Parlour; he was taking advantage of the fresh air outside to eat his lunch in the back yard. He sat in the shade of the building itself, eyes partially closed to stave off the worst of a heat induced headache, when a familiar rumbling voice spoke nearby.

“Mind if I sit with you?” 

Loki smiled, and spoke without opening his eyes. 

“It’s a free country, Thor; therefore I cannot stop you sitting wherever you wish,” he said, before opening one eye fully to take in Thor’s vaguely hurt expression. “I would prefer the present company, however, over sitting alone.” 

Thor smiled then, taking Loki’s last words as a compliment, and Loki supposed that it was. Thor sat beside him, body too hot against his own from where the other man sat a little too close. Thor was still having problems with personal space, Loki noted with a smile, yet he didn’t mind it; he knew, however that if it were anyone else, he would object quite loudly and at great length. 

“What are you eating?” Thor asked, as he pulled what smelled to Loki like a turkey sandwich out of a paper sack he’d brought with him. 

Loki looked down at the sandwich he’d almost forgotten abandoned in his lap, before shrugging.

“I think it’s a salad sandwich,” Loki said, a little baffled. 

“You think?” Thor asked, with a laugh, even as he bit into his own sandwich.

“I actually don’t know. I grabbed it in a hurry from the deli down the street this morning,” Loki said, with a laugh of his own. “I was running late and didn’t have the time to check what I was buying.” 

“I hope you like salad; it would be truly terrible if you didn’t,” Thor said, as though it really would be the end of the world if Loki objected to lettuce and tomatoes. 

“Salad’s okay,. I would have complained quite loudly if it had been curried chicken, however,” Loki said, with a smile. “Or cheese and chocolate.” 

“Cheese and chocolate?” Thor repeated, with a laugh. “Brother, you shop in some strange delis if that’s the sandwiches on offer.” 

“You may laugh, but in some quarters, that is considered a delicacy,” Loki said, with a shudder. “Gods know why though.” 

“Sounds like a prime recipe for a migraine,” Thor said, before biting heartily into his sandwich. “Cookie?” 

Loki looked up with some confusion, wondering if he really had heard Thor calling him cookie. His confusion was allayed, however, by the sight of obviously a home baked chocolate chip cookie held in Thor’s free hand. Thor was extending the cookie in Loki’s general direction, large hand making the not inconsiderable sized cookie appear small. Loki was surprised at the offer, yet slowly eased it away from Thor’s fingers anyway. Loki, in all of his lonely existence, could not remember a single person offering to share his food with him before; that Thor was willing to do so now meant a lot to Loki. To deny him would be to show extreme ignorance, in Loki‘s opinion. 

“Thank you,” Loki said, simply, before falling silent.

Thor nodded, as though that one act had strengthened their friendship still further; he pointed at the cookie, that Loki even now was nibbling at appreciatively, having abandoned his suspected salad sandwich in favour of it. 

“I made them myself; I have a whole batch of them,” he said. “For the love of the gods, don’t let anyone else know that I gave you that, especially Volstagg. He’ll be pestering me until the end of the world to ply him with home baked goods.” 

Loki laughed aloud at that, bright smile making his eyes glitter with amusement. Loki had silently wondered whether he was being singled out for special cookies.

“I promise, I won’t tell a soul,” he said. “These cookies will be our little secret.” 

Thor chuckled at that, but otherwise remained silent. Loki finished the cookie with great enjoyment; he wasn’t surprised that Thor was good at cooking if his ice creams were anything to go by. He managed to eat half of his sandwich, which turned out to indeed be salad, and quite delicious for it, when Thor suddenly stiffened.

“Can you smell smoke?” Thor asked, mere seconds before Loki smelt the same smell that Thor had. 

“Yes,” Loki just had time enough to answer, before a sudden scream broke the air, coming from inside the parlour. 

“That’s Sif,” Thor said, as he bolted to his feet and turned to head inside.

As they made their way to the break room, Loki a mere few steps behind Thor, the smell of smoke grew stronger. Loki could even hear the sounds of flames flickering and spitting, coupled with the sounds of struggle inside. Thor was the first to reach the door separating the corridor from the break room, charging in like the proverbial bull in a china shop, Loki directly behind him. Loki, taking the situation in at a glance, could see what had happened straight away - the kettle that Sif had obviously been using to boil water had shorted out, flames erupting from the cable in great spitting swathes and sparks. The flames had then spread to the nearby stack of napkins, which were even now beginning to shoot flames far up to the ceiling.

“Take Sif out, Loki, now,” Thor said, even as Sif tried desperately to fan the flames out, thereby making the conflagration worse. “Just in case it gets worse and threatens the whole building.” 

Sirens blared as the fire alarms kicked in; Loki didn’t stop to think as to whether Sif would even go with him; instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her from the room and out into the fresh air of the back yard via the connecting corridor. Surprisingly she went; eyes riveted to the back door as Thor pitched the kettle out onto the cement outside, shattering the thick plastic even as the flames went out. Hogun and Fandral were out in a flash, having left the lunchtime shift behind the counter, attracted by the commotion. Volstagg, Loki presumed, must have still been working, holding the proverbial ice cream fort alone. 

“What in the name of the gods is going on?” Fandral was the first to ask, as he stared at the ruined kettle dashed to the floor. 

“The kettle caught alight, although the damage is actually minimal,” Thor said. “It appears as though we can’t use the break room for a few days, however, at least until the stench disappears. Loki helped Sif out, probably saved her life if the blaze had caught any further.” 

He glared at Sif, pointedly, who merely nodded out her thanks to Loki, silently, although her eyes were warm with a new-found respect, as though she was surprised that Loki had done even that. Loki merely shrugged, as though his actions were par for the course for him.

“Hogun, try and do something about that infernal fire alarm,” Thor said, as he pointed at the Asian man wildly. “And Fandral, can you see if you can buy a new kettle?” 

“Why can’t Loki buy it?” Fandral asked, petulantly.

“No, Loki can’t buy it, because I am asking you to buy it,” Thor snapped. “Any more insubordination and I shall take the cost of said kettle out of your wages.” 

Fandral grumbled, yet turned to follow Thor’s orders. Hogun returned from inside, fire alarm long since silenced, to stare down at the blackened and shattered remains of the plastic kettle upon the ground. Loki watched him in turn, and was surprised when Hogun turned once more, obviously intending to return to work. He stopped only once, to clap Loki on the shoulder and to silently nod towards Sif. Although he hadn’t said so aloud, Loki suspected that Hogun was thanking him for what he’d done.

~~~

five months later

Snow drifted down from the sky, coating the New York streets with a blanket of white. Cars churned the snow into rivers of browny-grey mush, while pedestrians left swathes of footprints across the sidewalks. Loki tucked himself still further into his overcoat, his white and green scarf snarled around his throat almost to his ears. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his coat, head bent so that his dark hair caught the brunt of the snow; yet, still fat flakes drifted down to catch upon his eyelashes and his lips, to melt upon them in uncomfortably wet droplets. 

His booted feet counted out the footsteps between his apartment and Thor’s, only a few streets apart in the seeming maze of New York. Christmas trees threw the light of their decorations outwards from within businesses and apartments alike, sending sparkling lights into the night-darkening streets in bright and cheerful swathes. Loki took little notice of them; after all, he thought little of the trappings of Christmas, having had no need of them before and no real good memories of the festive season throughout his life. Still, he hoped that that year would change everything and that he would gain himself some new memories to savour, to make up for so much wrong in his life up until that point. 

He plunged into the apartment building that housed Thor, and waited for an empty elevator to arrive in the lobby. He plunged inside, pushing the button for the fourteenth floor, glad of the warmth that permeated the building; he also approved of the plush surroundings, being pretty much a self-confessed sensualist himself. 

He counted out the floors between the lobby and the fourteenth, stopping twice upon the way to admit other people bound also for higher floors. He ignored them however, glad that they also paid him little mind. Despite Loki’s attendance at Thor’s Christmas party, he was in little mood for socialising or exchanging meaningless small talk with anyone other than those he was supposedly carousing with.

That he’d even been asked to Thor’s party at all, had come as a surprise to Loki, not considering himself to be prime material for party invites. However, he knew he shouldn’t have been surprised considering that it was Thor that had invited him; he knew that Thor held great stock in Loki’s friendship, a friendship that had increasingly become much closer in the intervening time since the summer. Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun, Loki was pleased to note to himself, had become a more tolerant of him and a little more respectful, since that feted day when he escorted Sif to safety and fresh air, a short-circuiting kettle sending flames into flickering life behind them in the break room of the Asgardian Ice Cream Parlour. 

While it had taken almost a week to re-paint the blackened patch on the wall and for the stench of smoke and paint fumes to be filtered out, the respect he’d received since, grudging though it might still sometimes be, had remained, not filtered out as swiftly as the fumes had been. Sif, in particular, had even taken it upon herself to take Loki under her wing a little, often showing him places in New York she thought Loki might be interested in. Thor, as ever, had encouraged them to be nice to Loki, often taking Loki out on the town himself. Out of the two experiences, Loki preferred being with Thor the most, as he felt more at ease with the smiling and affable Thor.

The lift stopped at the fourteenth floor, jerking Loki out of his thoughts and he shuffled into the corridor, glad to be out of the confines of the elevator. The sound of music filtered down towards him, and he followed it, keen nose picking up the scents of dinner and alcohol. In response, his stomach growled, reminding Loki that he had, as yet, had to eat that afternoon. He knew, however, that Volstagg, ever the walking stomach, would still out-eat everyone at the table, no matter how hungry they all were. 

He soon reached the right door, and knocked upon it with confident knuckles, a loud rat-tat-tat that rose above the sound of Christmas carols from inside. Thor’s face was revealed next, a huge and friendly grin plastered over his bearded face. Loki grinned back as he was ushered in, with Thor loudly bidding him welcome. Loki wondered then if Thor could actually do anything quietly, then decided that he would be far from the same person if he actually did. Loki made up for Thor’s loudness with plenty of quietness and personal introspection. 

Sif and the Ice Cream Warriors Three were already there, and all four soon nodded at him and bade him welcome. As expected, Volstagg seemed to be holding the majority of a whole turkey in his hands, fastidiously chewing upon a large meaty leg with great and obvious enjoyment. Sif even handed Loki a mince pie, almost as though the flaky golden pastry were a peace offering. Loki accepted it gracefully, as Thor tugged at his coat sleeve, reminding him that he was still wearing his overcoat. Loki shrugged out of his coat, and allowed Thor to waltz off with it and his scarf, feeling oddly naked in his usual black suit. Fandral, ever the jolliest out of them all, draped a glittering green strand of tinsel around Loki’s neck; Loki was merely glad that the other man had chosen one of his favourite colours, probably on purpose. He smiled, and didn’t bother to remove the tinsel, even though it chafed and itched at his neck. He knew by the look in Fandral’s eyes, that the other man would likely take offence if Loki did so. 

Thor’s loud voice returned seconds before Thor himself did, demanding food to be served and champagne to be poured. Loki joined in with the appropriate festivities, hardly able to believe that he’d come so far in such a short amount of time. When he’d arrived in New York, it had been with next to nothing; now, he had a full time job, a few certificates under his belt, Thor’s loyal friendship and even the tentative beginnings of a few other friendships. He smiled and decided that life really couldn’t be so bad after all.


End file.
